Commuting to Drexel

Bicycles

As a Center City dweller I have it easy.  I open my front door, put my bicycle on the sidewalk and six minutes later I'm locking it to one of the bike racks by the Main Building.  I've had to brave the speedway that is the Walnut Street bridge over the Schuylkill, but otherwise it's wonderful.

If you live elsewhere the Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition has multiple suggested commuter routes.

Regional Rail & Bus

Septa (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) has a "radial" train system that focuses on center city, with 3oth street station (adjacent to the main campus) and Suburban Station (near the health programs) being on most of the routes.  Their regional rail map will give you a good idea of how it works.  It includes trains, subways and trolleys (these latter can provide a very nice outing with kids in the western suburbs).  Their bus system interconnects and provides connections across the radii as well as radial routes.

For those coming from New Jersey there is easy interchange with the PATCO line at 8th street. There is a connection with the new ""River Route" light rail line run by New Jersey Transit in Camden as well.  NJT also has a number of buses that come to center city.

Google Maps has a pretty good public transit search capability(my example link shows the trip from Paoli to main campus) that includes the Septa Regional rail (Buses being included at the end of 2009).  My tests showed that it doesn't currently do a good job of showing links to New Jersey Transit or PATCO rail lines.

Drexel's Office of Campus Activities has a nice summary page on Public Transit options, including Philly Car Share for short term auto use.

There's a Drexel-sponsored "Compass" program for reduced fares.

Automobile

The automobile is still the most popular mode of travel. A good way to see the major routes is to look at the Google Traffic Map.  The terms you'll hear when listening to the radio (KYW 1060AM is "on the twos" 24 hours)  include:

I-95	Major NE-SW interstate along Delaware River
Schuylkill	Schuylkill Expressway, I-76, from NW to Center City and then I-95 and the airport (shortcut via Penrose Avenue Bridge).
Vine Street	Sunken connector (I-676) E-W across center city from Schuylkill to Ben Franklin.  Get off at Broad Street for Health Programs.
"The Curve"	Stretch on the Schuylkill in Conshocken that regularly has slow-downs.
Blue Route	I-476 Ring route from PA Turnpike (I-276) to Schuylkill to I-95 south of the city and the airport.
Ben Franklin	Bridge from NJ to Center City
Walt Whitman	Bridge from NJ to South Philly
Betsy Ross	Bridge from NJ to North Philly
Commodore Barry	Bridge from south NJ to I-95 in Chester
Tacony-Palmyra	Bridge from NJ to North Philly - It's a lift bridge that is periodically blocked by ship traffic.

 

Parking at Drexel is handled through Parking Services.

Jim Mitchell